Mississippi is famous for....... (Jackson, Morton: houses, restaurants, mall)

[MSvirgo]

I like to watch Food Network alot and they have various shows highlighting the cuisine of each state or region. We know that Memphis is famous for their barbeque and New Orleans is famous for their creole and seafood dishes.

What particular food or dish do you think Mississippi is famous for?
Also, what is your favorite southern meal?

Personally, I like thinly sliced fried catfish and hushpuppies. Oh, and don't forget the fried chickn!

[jacksonian]

The fried catfish is definitely first on the list with crawfish a close second (even though Louisiana produces most of them, MS is high on the list of consumers). Also, I find it fascinating when I mention grits to northerners.

[poptones]

Famous? That's totally easy: sweet taters!

Not a fan of catfish myself, but you won't find many places a big ol' pot of butterbeans can serve as the centerpiece of a meal. And summer squash and onions fried in butter and garlic... mmmm. And cabbage fried up in butter and garlic... and pork chops fried up in butter and garlic...

Top it off with a slice of sweet potato pie... double mmmmm

[aiangel_writer]

Mississippi is known for great cooks. That said, the variety of foods is enormous. Culture plays a great part in what is famous as well as location. The Northern part of the state will have it's own cuisine, The Delta another, The Gulf Coast yet another.

I would say that in our area, food preparation passed down from generation to generation is your plain staples such as fresh veggies and catfish and beef. Mostly farmers here until the past few years. People were poor and had to make do with what they had, thus many great cooks pride themselves on their veggies, cornbread and biscuits and hushpuppies. As with most of the great cooks, the knowledge was never written down nor was there exact measurements, it was gaged by consistency and eyeballing to tell if a dish was prepared right.

I know I was raised this way and many of my friends can't believe I follow no directions for many of the things I cook.

[Robert_J]

Catfish is a given. Tamales in the delta region of the state are great. Some of the best steaks I've ever eaten have been in MS. Even beating Morton's in DC and Ditka's in Chicago. The Bourbon Mall and Doe's are both great steakhouses and have been on the Food Network as well.

-Robert

[jacksonian]

If someone were to ask me for a restaurant recommendation, I would tell them to go to Walker's in Jackson and order their choice of the specials. You can never go wrong with that, I can promise you that!

[ozzie679]

As an outsider from MN. When I think of Mississippi, I think of...

• rich history (good and bad)
• state name
• Southern cooking (grits? what the hay)
• music
• accent
• pretty Southern Belles
• hot/humid weather

[poptones]

OK, well since this seems potentially to be turning into a fine dining thread, I'll mention that I had some of the most killer sushi the other night at Nagoya. The "Jackson roll" is in the middle and it's awesome, although my fave is the spicy scallop roll (the back one).



Bet ya never thought of coming to Mississippi for good sushi, did ya?

[bornjacksonian]

You will definitely get southern cooking when you come to Mississippi! One thing in my opinion (just my opinion) is that I think we were the base in preparing some other regions in becoming famous. Of course you know barbeque was known in Mississippi sent to Memphis as well as Blues. There is nothing and will never be nothing like history up and down the mighty Mississippi. When thinking of cooking is like survival here, our families can cook whatever you like. From salmon croquet to fried chicken

[jacksonian]

There is actually some very good sushi restaurants in Jackson. Sakura Bana actually has a partner in Alaska that ships directly to Mississippi, so they have some of the freshest sushi you can imagine.